Flexible receptacle



May 21, 1935. w. R. BU XTON 2,001,954

FLEXIBLE RECEPTACLE Filed July 23, '1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved flexible receptacle adapted for carrying bills, papers of various kinds and any other articles of a similar thin, sheet-like nature. The most important use '5 for the invention is in connection with a bill fold of the type having means, of the sliding fastener type, for holding together the walls of the bill compartment and maintaining such compartment closed.

Bill folds, provided with a sliding fastener, have been used heretofore. This common type of fastener has been applied to a bill fold in much the same way that it has heretofore been applied to other articles but the result has not proved wholly successful. Repeated objections have been made by the trade because the bills become caught betweenthe interlocking fastener fingers and the slide which causes them to engage and disengage, causing jamming of the slide and tearing of the bills. Of course, if the bills are carefully tucked down into the bill compartment so that no part of them lies above the path of travel of the slide, no such difliculty occurs but it is too much to expect that each user will exercise at all times the care necessary to avoid the trouble. Consequently, the trouble does occur and each time it occurs the customer is made dissatisfied and the bill fold is condemned. As a result, this type of billfold is fast losing its popularity.

This invention is directed to and has for its object the provision of means for overcoming the disadvantage described and rendering this type of bill fold more nearly fool-proof, insofar as the operation of the slide fastener is concerned.

More particularly, the invention provides a' pushing device, actuated by the slide, which progressively acts on the bills in advance of the slide and pushes them backwardly into the bill compartment. leather, or other suitable material having flexibility but still stiff enough to perform the function. This leather strip, secured along one edge, is engaged by the slide along a line intermediate its edges and pushed inwardly and the upper edge transmits the inward push to the bills. A material stiff enough to transmit this push is necessary to, the securing of the desired result. Leather is especially suitable because it possesses the stifiness necessary to perform the desired work and, although flexible as is desirable for use in a pocket receptacle, its flexibility is coupled with resiliency.

The invention w'illbe disclosed'with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

This device consists of a strip of Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a bill fold shown in open or unfolded position;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary cross sectional views thereof taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 and showing the fastener in open and partly closed positions, respectively; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to this drawing; the bill fold comprises outer and inner walls 5 and 6, respectively, made up of rectangular pieces of leather or other suitable material and suitably joined together along both side edges and both end edges to form between the walls a closed, or substantially closed, compartment 1 for receiving bills, notes, checks or other papers or articles of generally thin sheet-like nature. As shown, two other walls 8 of leather are superposed on the inner wall 6, one on each side of the central transverse line of fold 9, to form between them and the inner wall 6 pockets,-each such 'wall 8 being suitably secured along its upper edge to the wall 6 and along its lower edge and outer end edge to the outer wall 5.

Access to the compartment 1 for the insertion and removal of bills or other articles therefrom is had by way of a slot l0 formed in the inner wall 6, which slot can be opened and closed by a sliding fastener of a well known type. This slot is formed near the upper edge of wall 6 and extends longitudinally thereof nearly from one end to the other. The upper strip of the inner wall, located above this slot is designated 6. The slot' is thus closed at both ends and the walls 6 and 6' cannot therefore be spread apart 1.

to the same degree and with the same facility as they can in'the usual cases where this type of fastener is used. Accordingly, it is more difficult to tuck articles into the compartment I and get them located out of the path of the sliding member of the fastener.

The fastener comprises two tapes H and I2 secured to the walls 6 and 6, respectively, near the said slot and extending along the same from one end to the other and also extending into the slot. These tapes H and I2 carry series of metallic fastening fingers l3 and I4, respectively,which are adapted to be engaged and disengaged by a slide l5. Movement of the slide to the right will disengage I gers and movement of the slide to the left will cause them to again be interlocked.

This invention is characterized by the pro-, vision of a pushing device in the form of a strip l6, which lies'behind the tape H and is secured the interlocked fin along its lower edge to the wall 6. This strip extends substantially from one end of slot III to the other and is made of leather or other suitable material possessing equivalent stiffness, flexiand in back of the biiity and resiliency. The upper edge of this strip projects beyond the lower edge of the slot but, except for one .end it preferably does not extend entirely across the slot so that it does not interfere at all with the desired free and easy access to the bill compartment for the insertion or removal of bills therein or therefrom. Also, this strip cannot under any circumstances extend outside of and overlap the upper row of fastener fingers H or assume any other position, such as would necessitate the tucking of it back into place before interlocking the fasteners.

At one end, the strip It has a widened part I! which projects entirely across the slot and beyond the upper edge thereof. This part is preferably secured in any suitable way so as to maintain it permanently behind the upper section 6' of the inner wall. For example, it may be fastened by stitches l8 to section 6' or by the stitches l9 which secure its outer end edge to the coraesponding and adjacent edges of the outer end all. Fastening at either one of these locations will generally suilice but fastening at both locations, asshown, afiords additional insurance that this end of the guard will remain permanently held in back of the upper section 6'. It will be seen that, if one end of the pusher strip I6 is permanently held in back of wall 6' slide IS, the remaining portion of the strip will be forced back and into the bill compartment, even if it projects to a much greater extent ,than hereinshown into the slot Ill, when the slide is moved from the right to the left (as viewed in Fig. 1) to close the opening into the bill compartment. The part II is preferably connected to the long upper edge 20 of the strip by a sloping edge 2|. The extent to which the edge 20 extends into slot Ill may be varied within substantial limits. It needs to extend far enough into the slot to engage the back of the slide l5, which is relied on to actuate it by forcing it rearwardly, causing it to bend rearwardly at a point intermediate its edges, when the slide is moved. The rearward movement, imparted to the strip at a point intermediate its edges, is magnified at the upper edge of the strip and such edge imparts a distinct push to the bills in compartment]. Unless the strip 5 was stiff the inward motion effected by the slide would not be transmitted, or at least effectively transmitted and to the desired degree, to the bills. It is deemed desirable to have the edge 20 extend'at least slightly beyond the upper extremities of the fingers l3 and it may extend much farther beyond the upper extremities of these fingers than is herein shown.

, While the strip l6 may be applied to either side of slot l8. it is thought preferable to app yit to the lower side, as herein shown.

The. invention has proved exceedingly efiective in overcoming a trouble which seemed destined to cause the abandonment of the use of slide fasteners on bill folds. Under very usual conditions, it frequently happens that the upper edge of one or more bills is not tucked down far enough to lie below the lower row of fastener fingers and frequently some part of the exposed edge of such bill will become caught between the fastener fingers and the slide, causing tearing of the bill and, usually also, the user continues to pull on e slide until it becomes jammed and cannot readily be moved in either direction. Under such conditions, the invention operates most effectively. The slide I5 is moved toward the left and, as it moves, it progressively acts on the pusher strip forcing it back at a point well in advance of the slide. The rearward motion, imparted by the slide to strip H5 at a point intermediate its two longitudinal edges, bends the strip inwardly along its fixed edge as anaxis. Necessarily, the upper edge of the strip, because it is stiif and although flexible is springy, moves inwardly to a greater degree and pushes the bill back out of the dangerous location where it might otherwise be caught between the slide I5 and one or the other set of fastener fingers.

Actually, the invention has proved effective in extreme cases, as for example, where one corner of a bill extends upwardly so far as to overlie the upper row of fasteners. The worst condition would be where the right hand upper corner of such a bill lays directly and nearly squarely in the path of the slide. In such a case, the slide l5 will engage and move the bill longitudinally in the bill compartment and the bill will be found to be crumpled up therein. But it will nevertheless have been tucked into the bill compartment and not caught in the fasteners. The corner of the bill will be bent when engaged by the slide until it projects almost at right angles out of the slot I 0 but as the slide moves along, the

pusher I 6 keeps the bill pushed back and it grad ually becomes tucked into the bill compartment. Needless to say, such extreme conditions are not often encountered in practice nor should the invention be expected to guard against them. It is sufficient if it will stop, as it will, the frequently recurring troubles due to the upper edge of a bill being located just slightly above the lower set of fastener fingers where a corner will easily catch between the slide and one set of fasteners.

What I claim is:

1. A flexible receptacle for articles of a thin sheet-like nature, comprising, walls forming between them a compartment for said articles and joined together except along certain adjacent edges, the space between such edges affording an entrance slot for said compartment, rows of fastener fingers one along each side edge of said slot. a slidable member cooperating with. said fingers and movable along the slot to cause said rows of fingers to engage or disengage, and a pusher strip of relatively stiff and resilient flexible material secured to the inner face of one of said walls and extending along one edge of said slot substantially from end to end thereof and extending part way across said slot and in position to be engaged by said slide and moved away from the adjacent row or fastener elements, whereby said strip will be progressively flexed by and in advance of the slide as it is moved to close said slot and whereby such movement of the strip will push any articles which project into the path of the slide back into said compartment.

2. A flexible receptacle for articles of a thin sheet-like nature, comprising outer and inner walls secured together along both side edges and both end edges to form therebetween a compartment for said articles, one of said walls having near one edge a slot through which said articles may be inserted in or removed from said compartment, rows of fastener fingers one along each side edge of said slot, a slidable member cooperating with said fingers and movable along the slot to cause said rows of fingers to engage or disengage, and a pusher strip of relatively stifl and resilient flexible material secured to the inner face of the last named wall and extending along one edge of said slot substantially from end to end thereof and extending part way across said slot and in position to be engaged by said slide and moved away from the adjacent row of fastener elements, whereby said strip will be progressive- 1y flexed by and in advance of the slide as it is moved to close said slot and whereby such movement of the strip will push the articles in said compartment toward the unslotted wall thereof and out of the path of said slide and the fastener fingers with which it cooperates.

3. A flexible receptacle for articles of a thin sheet-like nature, comprising outer and inner walls secured together along both side edges and both end edges to form therebetween a compartment for said articles, one of said walls having near one edge slot closed at both ends and through which said articles may be inserted in or removed from said compartment, rows of fastener fingers one along each side edge of said slot, a slidable member cooperating with said fingers and movable along the slot to cause said rows of fingers to engage or disengage, and a pusher strip of relatively stiff and resilient flexible material secured to the inner face of the last named wall and extending along one edge of said slot substantially from end to end thereof and extending part way but not entirely across said slot and in position to be engaged by said slide and moved away from the adjacent row of fastener elements, whereby said strip will be progressively flexed by and in advance of the slide as it is moved to close said slot and whereby such movement of the strip will push the articles in said compartment toward the unslotted wall thereof and out of the path of said slide and the fastener-fingers with which it cooperates.

4. A flexible receptacle for articles of a thin sheet-like nature, comprising outer and inner walls secured together along both side edges and both end edges to form therebetween a compartment for said articles, one of said walls having near one edge a slot closed at both ends and through which said articles may be inserted in or removed from said compartment, rows of fastener fingers one along each side edge of said slot, a slidable member cooperating with said fingers and movable along the slot from one end toward the other to cause said rows of fingers to become interlocked and movable in the other direction to cause said fingers to be disengaged, and a device actuated by and in advance of said sliding member for pushing back the exposed edges of such articles in said compartment as project above the lower edge of said slot, said device comprising a strip of flexible and resilient material secured to the inner surface of the slotted wall along the lower edge of the slot and extending substantially from one end of the slot ,to the other, said strip lying behind the lower row of fastener fingers and extending upwardly part way across the slot and at least as far as the upper extremities ofthe lower row of fastener fingers, whereby when the slide is moved it pushes back the pusher strip toward the unslotted wall and away from the lower row of fastener fingers and thereby pushes back the adjacent articles in said compartment and prevents them from being caught between the slide .and said fingers.

5. A flexible receptacle for articles of a thin sheet-like nature, comprising outer and inner walls secured together along both side edges and both end edges to form therebetween a compartment for said articles, one of said walls having near one edge a slot closed at both ends and through which said articles may be inserted in or removed from said compartment, rows of fastener fingers one along each side edge of said slot, 9. slidable member cooperating with said fingers and movable along the slot from one end toward the other to cause said rows of fingers to become interlocked and movable in the other direction to cause said fingers to be disengaged, and a device actuated by and in advance of said sliding member for pushing back the exposed edges of such articles in said compartment as project above the lower edge of said slot, said device comprising a strip of flexible and resilient material secured to the inner surface of the slotted wall along the lower edge of the slot and extending. substantially from one end of the slot to the other, said strip lying behind the lower row of fastener fingers and extending upwardly part way across the slot and at least as far as the upper extremities of the lower row of fastener fingers, whereby when the slide is moved it pushes back the pusher strip toward the unslotted wall and away from the lower row of fastener fingers and thereby pushes back the adjacent articles in said compartment and prevents them from being caught between the slide and said fingers, said strip at the first named end of said slot being wider and extending entirely across said slot and overlapping the portion of the slotted wall above saidslot.

6. A flexible receptacle for articles of a, thin sheet-like nature, comprising outer and inner walls secured together along both side edges and both end edges to form therebetween a compartment for said articles, one of said walls having near one edge a slot closed at both ends and through which said articles may be inserted in or removed from said compartment, rows of fastener fingers one along each side edge of said slot, -a slidable member cooperating with said fingers and movable along the slot from one end toward the other to cause said rows of fingers to become interlocked and movable in the other direction to cause said fingers to be disengaged, and a device actuated by and in advance of said sliding member for pushing back the exposed edges of such articles in said compartment as project above the lower edge of said slot, said device comprising a, strip of flexible and resilient material secured to the inner surface of the slotted wall along the lower edge of the slot and extending substantially from one end of the slot to the other, said strip lying behind the lower row of fastener fingers and extending upwardly part way across the slot and at least as far as the upper extremities of thelower row of fastener fingers, whereby when the slide is moved it pushes back the pusher strip toward the unslotted wall and away from the lower rowof fastener fingers and thereby pushes back the adjacent articles in said compartment and prevents them from being caught between the slide and. said fingers, said strip at the first named end of said slot being wider and extending entirely across said slot and overlapping the portion of the slotted wall above said slot, and fixed thereto.

' WARNER R. BUXTON. 

